Since my vessel out on the rough seas of the message boards is but a sailboat, metaphorically speaking, I can't ignore the 'prevailing winds', which I think with solid basis blew at gale force for Prime, and then shifted westward toward Oxford against strong gusts toward Lynchburg, VA. All of which would win the presser for different reasons, none of which represent zero risk (nor does ANY hire).
A SPLASH hire was needed, the argument was forcefully made, thanks in no small degree to the abomination that was Harskins idea of talent acquisition (amuses me that term for 'crootin was borrowed from the corporate world I ridicule for $5 words, but it makes podcasters and all we posters sound intellectual I reckin).
But as I ponder the poster child of upside on "meh" hires that lack even a ripple in the water, I guess in '22 you'd have to top that list with Josh Heupel. But what is a program to do, keep hiring low-splash, less proven, higher risk hires and firing every 2-3 years until you get lucky? Nyet. Too disruptive, albeit far less expensive and not entangled with Jimbo-esque buyout enslavement.
So as we sit, if 'splash we must', I'd personally prefer to see what an offensive mensa like Kiffin could do with the resources and old-school AU defense at Auburn. But I'd have been intrigued by Dan Lanning as well, risk being more youth with an impressive body of work to date.
Still, with Heupel's work at TENN as the backdrop, I must post a small placecard here for a #JABA scenario that, while unlikely in my opinion, is hardly 'impossible'.
It goes like some variation of the following... take with a sense of humor, I got into some peyote last night.
- AU makes a historically HUGE splash hire of Lane Kiffin. Scares bammers if they're honest (few are), and 100% wins the presser with national media. Ain't cheap either, say, $9.5 M a year, 7 years guar-un-teed.
- Ole Mrs. hires Jeff Lebby (also an offensive guru)
- Arky inexplicably fires Sam Pittman after 2023 5-loss season, and (WHAT?!) hires PRIME TIME.
- After the 2023 season, Saban says SEE-YA due to NIL B.S. and losing 2-3 games a year. RTR hires Dan Lanning. Ruh-Roh. 38 years old, and looks like he has the ELITE head coaching formula and persona figured out.
- aTm fires Jimbo after 2023 despite massive buyout, hires Hugh Freeze.
- TENN wins the 2022 national championship, getting UGA in semifinal game one # 1 vs # 4 VOLS, and then boat-racing TCU in the national title game.
Now the fun. Kiffin does indeed flip the AU roster brilliantly in 2023, and the Tigers light it up offensively, but show early signs of struggling to stop people. Kiffin's DC, BOOM, appears to have lost most of his DC Mojo. In an unpopular move, Lane fires BOOM. And fans are patient that AU '23 was not quite built to beat UGA, LSU, bammer, and Lebby's Ole Mrs. revenge in Jordan-Hare.
2024 arrives with promise, but alas, Kiffin still can't get AU over the hump vs big archrivals, causing furrowed brows amongst the AU fan base. But we married up with no prenuptials ($9 M / 7 years). Onward and upward, fans are mostly patient. Until 2025 and the pattern of 8-9 wins, 3-4 losses looks "stuck".
Kirby wins his 2nd national title in 2023, facing LSU again in the playoffs. Hugh Freeze posts a 10-win season at aTm.
Prime signs back-to-back top 5 recruiting classes at Arky in 2023 and 2024. UH-OH. Lebby posts a 10 win season in '23, benefitting from Kiffin leftovers.
The SEC expands by Texas and Okey, and Sankey unveils the new DIVISION-LESS conference. AU's schedule - on paper - gets tougher.
Was Kiffin a great hire? Yep. You can only hire based on proven body of work at time of hiring. What to do?
Well, NOT A THING. You roll the dice, AU restocked the roster under LK, and you keep choppin' wood on all fronts.
A SPLASH hire was needed, the argument was forcefully made, thanks in no small degree to the abomination that was Harskins idea of talent acquisition (amuses me that term for 'crootin was borrowed from the corporate world I ridicule for $5 words, but it makes podcasters and all we posters sound intellectual I reckin).
But as I ponder the poster child of upside on "meh" hires that lack even a ripple in the water, I guess in '22 you'd have to top that list with Josh Heupel. But what is a program to do, keep hiring low-splash, less proven, higher risk hires and firing every 2-3 years until you get lucky? Nyet. Too disruptive, albeit far less expensive and not entangled with Jimbo-esque buyout enslavement.
So as we sit, if 'splash we must', I'd personally prefer to see what an offensive mensa like Kiffin could do with the resources and old-school AU defense at Auburn. But I'd have been intrigued by Dan Lanning as well, risk being more youth with an impressive body of work to date.
Still, with Heupel's work at TENN as the backdrop, I must post a small placecard here for a #JABA scenario that, while unlikely in my opinion, is hardly 'impossible'.
It goes like some variation of the following... take with a sense of humor, I got into some peyote last night.
- AU makes a historically HUGE splash hire of Lane Kiffin. Scares bammers if they're honest (few are), and 100% wins the presser with national media. Ain't cheap either, say, $9.5 M a year, 7 years guar-un-teed.
- Ole Mrs. hires Jeff Lebby (also an offensive guru)
- Arky inexplicably fires Sam Pittman after 2023 5-loss season, and (WHAT?!) hires PRIME TIME.
- After the 2023 season, Saban says SEE-YA due to NIL B.S. and losing 2-3 games a year. RTR hires Dan Lanning. Ruh-Roh. 38 years old, and looks like he has the ELITE head coaching formula and persona figured out.
- aTm fires Jimbo after 2023 despite massive buyout, hires Hugh Freeze.
- TENN wins the 2022 national championship, getting UGA in semifinal game one # 1 vs # 4 VOLS, and then boat-racing TCU in the national title game.
Now the fun. Kiffin does indeed flip the AU roster brilliantly in 2023, and the Tigers light it up offensively, but show early signs of struggling to stop people. Kiffin's DC, BOOM, appears to have lost most of his DC Mojo. In an unpopular move, Lane fires BOOM. And fans are patient that AU '23 was not quite built to beat UGA, LSU, bammer, and Lebby's Ole Mrs. revenge in Jordan-Hare.
2024 arrives with promise, but alas, Kiffin still can't get AU over the hump vs big archrivals, causing furrowed brows amongst the AU fan base. But we married up with no prenuptials ($9 M / 7 years). Onward and upward, fans are mostly patient. Until 2025 and the pattern of 8-9 wins, 3-4 losses looks "stuck".
Kirby wins his 2nd national title in 2023, facing LSU again in the playoffs. Hugh Freeze posts a 10-win season at aTm.
Prime signs back-to-back top 5 recruiting classes at Arky in 2023 and 2024. UH-OH. Lebby posts a 10 win season in '23, benefitting from Kiffin leftovers.
The SEC expands by Texas and Okey, and Sankey unveils the new DIVISION-LESS conference. AU's schedule - on paper - gets tougher.
Was Kiffin a great hire? Yep. You can only hire based on proven body of work at time of hiring. What to do?
Well, NOT A THING. You roll the dice, AU restocked the roster under LK, and you keep choppin' wood on all fronts.
Last edited:
